Founded just after World War II by residents of the San Diego suburban community of Lemon Grove, this club began improvements on its facility located at its present location in Alpine in the early 1950s. The first parcel of land consisting of 19.3 acres was purchased in 1959. Subsequent purchases of land to expand the use of the range were made in 1974 consisting of two parcels totaling 14.2 acres. A final parcel of land consisting of 12.1 acres was purchased in 1995 to act as a buffer between the range and residential property to the east. The facility totals 45.6 acres.

Our facility consists of a clubhouse, an RV park with 15 partial hook-ups, two trap fields, a 200-yard rifle range with 110 feet of covered firing points and a "pit" supplied with multiple steel targets for handgun shooting. The undeveloped portions of the range are utilized for the Sporting Clays event that uses an ever-changing arrangement for a variety of shotgun shooting challenges.

The Club has evolved during the past half-century into a family-oriented shooting sports group with membership limited to 275 Regular Members. Additional membership categories of Honorary, Senior, Junior, Social and Golden memberships account for additional members. This limitation of membership has been adopted as a way of assuring the members that the range will not be overcrowded and will be available for their use at all times when an event is not scheduled. Our members live throughout the 4200-square-mile County of San Diego.

To qualify for membership the candidate must have a club member sponsor, attend one shooting event, a work party, a general membership meeting and a Board of Directors meeting, all with the sponsor. The general meeting is held at the VFW Hall in Lemon Grove.

In order to keep membership dues at a moderate level, club members are expected to perform skilled or unskilled improvement and maintenance tasks on a regular basis to keep those fees small. There is a mandatory requirement that all members perform a minimum work effort in support of the range on an annual basis.

The Club hosts a range of events that span most of the popular shooting sports. Shotgun events include weekly Friday Night Pot Shoots (trap), monthly Fun Shoot (trap), monthly Sporting Clays shoot and periodic Interclub Trap Competitions with other gun clubs in the San Diego area. Rifle events include a monthly Sporting Rifle competition and a .22 rimfire event that is held in concert with a .22 handgun event that is modeled after the "Steel Challenge." Other handgun events include an International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) match held monthly and managed by the Linea de Fuego Club, a monthly revolver match following the rules of the International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE), a Fun Pistol Shoot that is companion to the revolver match using the same rules (almost) but involving center fire semi-auto pistols.

Lemon Grove Rod & Gun Club is truly community oriented. It is affiliated with the Alpine chamber of Commerce, Alpine Kiwanis, the National Rifle Association, and the Civilian Marksmanship Program, San Diego Wildlife Federation, among other conservation, education, and civic organizations. Many of our events are open to the public, although the range is a locked facility at other times and available only for members and their guests.

The Club acts as host to the Boy Scouts of America merit badge shoots for both rifle and shotgun, providing firearms, ammunition, safety instruction and range safety officers/coaches during the events. These are held periodically during the year to serve the needs of the various troops who wish to earn this merit badge. Additionally, the Club provides firearms training to Boy Scout leaders at Camp Mataguay on an as-requested basis.

As a community service and educational tool, the Club sponsors an annual NRA Shooting Sports Camp in the Spring that makes available free firearms safety training, introductory shooting with rimfire rifles, rimfire pistols and shotguns to shooters under the age of 18. Participants must be accompanied by parents or guardians. This day at the range involves free T-shirts and lunch for all. Lunch is provided by the Alpine Kiwanis Club, who has provided this community service on a regular basis.

Members and guests will find the range under-utilized during weekdays when access is only with a key to open the locked gates.

We suggest that prospective members participate in one or more of our events to look us over before requesting membership.

We appreciate your interest in the Lemon Grove Rod & Gun Club and invite your membership by joining in some of our shooting sports events, acquiring a sponsor and then applying for membership. Check our schedule of events on the web site, show up at one of the events and ask one of the range officers about the process to join.

Take HYW 8 to the Tavern Road exit in Alpine and go south on Tavern Road 2.8 miles to Japatul Road. Turn left on Japatul Road for 0.3 miles and turn right on Sycuan Truck Trail. After 2.2 miles, look for the range on the right side.